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by Stephanie on June 25, 2021 (Updated August 8, 2024)225*This post may contain affiliate links. Read more »
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This classic Tuna Noodle Casserole has canned tuna and egg noodles smothered in a creamy mushroom soup filling with cheese and peas. Top it off with buttery Ritz crackers, crispy fried onions, or potato chips.
BONUTS: This is an easy make-ahead meal and freezer food!
Tuna Noodle Casserole
Nothing beats a classic creamy casserole recipe, and this Tuna Noodle Casserole is right at the top of our favorites list.
This meal comes together SO quickly and can even be prepared without using the oven. (Although I love a nice crispy topping!)
Scroll down to see how easy this is to make and be sure to read through my PRO tips for helpful info with this recipe!
How to Make it
**See recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions.
Sauté the celery and onions in butter. Add Garlic and cook for 1 more minute.
Add seasonings, tuna, cream of mushroom soup, half and half, and sour cream. Stir until combined.
Add frozen peas and shredded white cheddar until combined and heated through.
Add cooked egg noodles and mix until combined. Transfer to a lightly greased casserole dish if your skillet isn’t oven safe.
Cover and bake at 400°F for 20 minutes. Combine Ritz crackers and melted butter. Add to casserole.
Bake uncovered for 5-7 minutes. Garnish with green onions and serve.
Make-Ahead Method
1-2 days ahead:
- Tuna Noodle Casserole can be made 1-2 days ahead of time and stored in the fridge until ready to bake.
- If baking from a cold state, add 15 additional minutes of covered baking time.
1-3 months ahead:
- Let it defrost in the fridge for up to 24 hours prior to baking or bake from frozen and add 1 hour to covered baking time.
Topping Options
- Crushed Ritz Crackers, Crispy Fried Onions, Breadcrumbs, and Potato Chips all make great topping options for tuna noodle casserole.
Pro Tips
- Half and Half is made of half milk, half cream. You can also use evaporated milk.
- Frozen carrots, corn, and green beans may also be added.
- Sliced mushrooms can also be used and sautéed with the onions and celery.
- For best results, shred the cheese from a block instead of using bagged shredded cheese, which contains cellulose and doesn’t melt as well.
- My homemade Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup or cream of chicken soup can also be used instead of a can.
- 2 cups of leftover chicken makes a good substitute for the Tuna in this casserole.
- This recipe is in The Cozy Cookbook on page 186!
To Prepare as a Skillet Meal (Without Baking):
- Boil the noodles until fully cooked (vs. boiling for 1 minute less).
- Top the casserole with Parmesan cheese. Cover and simmer over medium heat until warm and bubbling, 5-10 minutes.
- Add a topping that doesn’t require baking to become crispy, such as crushed Ritz (without melted butter mixed in), or potato chips.
Storage
- Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
Tools For This Recipe
(Amazon affiliate links)- Check out all of my kitchen essentials here.
- A 14-inch oven safe skillet is perfect for this recipe.
- Box Cheese Grater– Always shred cheese from a block for creamy/melty results. Bagged shredded cheese contains cellulose and prevents it from melting as well in soups/sauces.
- 9 x 13 baking dish The perfect size for almost any casserole recipe.
Try These Next!
- One Pot Taco Pasta
- Chicken Noodle Casserole
- Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole
- Olive Garden Alfredo Sauce
- French Onion Chicken
- Creamy Chicken and Noodles
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Tuna Noodle Casserole
Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes minutes
4.97 from 103 ratings
Servings: 6
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This classic Tuna Noodle Casserole has canned tuna and egg noodles smothered in a creamy mushroom soup filling with cheese and peas. Top it off with buttery Ritz crackers, crispy fried onions, or potato chips.
Ingredients
- 3 cups dry egg noodles, about 4 cups cooked
- 2 chicken bouillon cubes, optional
- 8 oz. shredded White Cheddar cheese
- 2 Tablespoons butter
- 1 rib Celery, diced
- ½ yellow onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 cans solid white albacore tuna in water, drained. (5 oz. per can)
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- ½ teaspoon celery salt
- ¼ teaspoon Pepper
- 1 (10.5 oz.) can condensed cream of mushroom soup, or try my homemade version
- 1.5 cups half and half, see notes
- 1/2 cup sour cream, at room temp
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
Casserole Topping
- 1 cup Ritz crackers, crushed
- 2 Tablespoons butter, melted
Optional Garnish
- 3 green onions, diced
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400°F.
Shred the cheese and set aside to allow it to come to room temperature.
Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the diced onions and celery and cook for about 5 minutes, until softened.
Add the minced garlic and cook for an additional minute.
Decrease heat to low. Add the drained tuna, salt/pepper, celery salt, cream of mushroom soup, half and half, and sour cream. Stir until combined. Gradually sprinkle in the White cheddar and stir until well-combined and smooth.
Cook the egg noodles 1 minute shy of what the package instructs. Add 2 bouillon cubes to the boiling water to enhance the flavor of the egg noodles if desired.
Add the peas and drained egg noodles to the cream sauce and use a silicone spatula to gently stir until combined.
If not using an oven safe skillet, transfer to a lightly greased 9 x 13 casserole dish.
Top with Parmesan cheese. Cover and bake for 20 minutes.
Combine the Ritz crackers and melted butter and sprinkle over the casserole. Bake uncovered for 5-7 minutes, until the top is brown and crisp.
Garnish with diced green onions and serve!
Notes
Pro Tips:
- Half and Half is made of half milk, half cream. You can also use evaporated milk.
- Frozen carrots, corn, and green beans may also be added.
- Sliced mushrooms can also be used and sautéed with the onions and celery.
- For best results, shred the cheese from a block instead of using bagged shredded cheese, which contains cellulose and doesn't melt as well.
- My homemade Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup or cream of chicken soup can also be used instead of a can.
- 2 cups of leftover chicken makes a good substitute for the Tuna in this casserole.
- This recipe is in The Cozy Cookbook on page 186!
Make Ahead Method:
1-2 days ahead:
- Tuna Noodle Casserole can be made 1-2 days ahead of time and stored in the fridge until ready to bake.
- If baking from a cold state, add 15 additional minutes of covered baking time.
1-3 months ahead:
- Let it defrost in the fridge for up to 24 hours prior to baking or bake from frozen and add 1 hour to covered baking time.
Nutrition
Calories: 589kcal, Carbohydrates: 32g, Protein: 32g, Fat: 37g, Saturated Fat: 22g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g, Monounsaturated Fat: 10g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 135mg, Sodium: 1728mg, Potassium: 488mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 4g, Vitamin A: 1308IU, Vitamin C: 13mg, Calcium: 479mg, Iron: 3mg
Did you try this recipe?Mention @TheCozyCook on Instagram or tag #thecozycook!
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Author: Stephanie
Casseroles Dinner Freezer Food Make Ahead Recipes Our Favorite Recipes Popular
posted by Stephanie on June 25, 2021 — 225 Comments »
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225 comments on “Tuna Noodle Casserole”
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emma bobbitt — July 10, 2024 @ 8:35 pm Reply
Another recipe I’ve tried of yours and again it’s a hit. I’m telling you girl you have a new fan. I added mushrooms and used green beans because I hate peas and it was just delicious. Thanks again.
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Stephanie — July 11, 2024 @ 7:54 am Reply
Thanks so much for your support Emma, I’m so happy to have you here!💖 Mushrooms are a great addition, I wish my family was more accepting of them.
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LeAn — May 30, 2024 @ 9:33 pm Reply
Every bite is just fun to eat, it is that good! I may have never had tuna casserole before, I would have definitely remembered. This costs basically nothing and just super yummy! Thank you for this recipe!!!!❤️❤️
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Stephanie — May 31, 2024 @ 7:58 am Reply
Thanks for the great comments LeAn! I agree, budget friendly, and delicious! 💕
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Adam — April 26, 2024 @ 11:38 pm Reply
Really good. Made this tonight and everyone loved it. Added mushrooms and probably about 2 cups of peas. Would make this again definitely.
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Stephanie — April 27, 2024 @ 9:46 am Reply
I’m so happy everyone loved it Adam! Nice work! Thanks so much for the review!😀
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Kate — March 10, 2024 @ 12:05 pm Reply
Made this after I forgot to thaw salmon for lent. Love that it’s pretty much all ingredients you always have around, so I didn’t have to buy anything specifically for it. My husband and I ate the entire casserole in two days 😬 needless to say it was absolutely delicious!
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Stephanie — March 10, 2024 @ 12:39 pm Reply
Perfect Kate!!! I definitely love recipes where you don’t have to make a store run! I shared this specifically for lent on Instagram as well, so I’m really glad that it came in handy! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a review!! ❤️❤️❤️
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Ginny — February 27, 2024 @ 7:42 pm Reply
Awesome!
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Stephanie — February 28, 2024 @ 9:09 am Reply
Yayyy, thanks Ginny!
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Ginny — February 27, 2024 @ 7:41 pm Reply
Made this recipe today – it was awesome!! I used the homemade condensed cream of mushroom recipe as well and it was incredible definitely a keeper in my “excellent” recipes folder!!
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Stephanie — February 28, 2024 @ 9:09 am Reply
Nice work Ginny, I’m so happy you liked it with the homemade mushroom soup! Thanks so much for the review!
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Tempa — February 22, 2024 @ 12:35 pm Reply
This is very similar to my own recipe for Tuna Noodle Casserole with the exception of, instead of sour cream, I use french onion dip in the jar, and French Fried Onions on top. I made it your way and the kids and I ate it up. Very good, thank you for posting.
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Stephanie — February 22, 2024 @ 1:34 pm Reply
I’m so happy that you and your kids enjoyed it!! 🙂 Thank you so much!
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